Seniors, volunteers sought for companionship initiative

A national program that brings companionship to isolated senior Australians is expanding into Geelong and its surrounds.

Seniors and adults interested in volunteering have been invited to apply to be part of the initiative, which will be run across the Barwon South West region by Feros Care.

The federal government’s Aged Care Volunteer Visitors Scheme has traditionally run in metropolitan areas, but new funding has expanded the scheme’s reach into growth corridors across regional Australia.

Feros Care chief executive Greg Winfield said the not-for-profit organisation already supported 140 Victorian seniors through the scheme, and hoped to add at least another 50 in Barwon South West.

“As people age, their social circle becomes smaller and that’s for a range of reasons: ill health, declining mobility, communication issues,” he said.

“We know distance and isolation affects Australians more in regional areas – their families have quite often have moved away and there’s a greater distance between the seniors and their loved ones.

“With the cost of living and fuel prices, visits aren’t happening as frequently as they once were.”

In the program, volunteers visit seniors for an hour each week, with pairings based on shared interests.

This could include coffee or lunch, a walk in the park, community events, a morning at the markets or shared hobbies.

Volunteers complete training and onboarding before being matched with a senior.

Winfield said there was no limit to what the seniors and volunteers could do together.

“Sometimes it’s just enjoying a lost hobby – cards, board games, pottering around the garden,” he said.

“For others, it might be watching sport or going out for lunch or looking through a photo album and bringing that shared joy of storytelling.”

Winfield said the scheme delivered benefits for both seniors and volunteers.

“For the seniors, there’s the connection they make with their volunteer – friendship, companionship, social connection, reduced isolation – and there’s a definite connection between mental wellbeing, physical wellbeing and quality of life,” he said.

“But quite often we overlook the benefit to the volunteer. We’ve just spent the month of May celebrating Feros Care’s volunteers, and they tell us that what they get out of it is connection to community. They get a sense of purpose, and at the end of the day they also get a friend.”

Applications for volunteers and seniors are now open, with training for volunteers to begin from 1 July.

For more information, head to feroscare.com.au